Coming at the height of the first wave of John Travolta's career, the hit romance made line dancing, rodeo, cowboy hats and country music popular. Travolta's character Bud could be a cousin of his Tony Manero character from SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER. They're both working class young men who find self worth in their public hobbies. Their treatment of women is questionable at best. And when is comes to clearing a dance floor few are better.
Travolta's Bud gets married young to Sissy (Debra Winger, TERMS OF ENDEARMENT), but Sissy isn't the kind of wife he imagined. She doesn't cook or clean and doesn't like being told what to do. Bud works the oil refinery during day and hangs out at the county bar at night. When their favorite watering hole gets a mechanical bull, Bud gets hooked, but he doesn't like it when Sissy wants to ride too. Ex-con Wes (Scott Glenn, THE RIGHT STUFF) has no problem showing Sissy how to ride and soon Bud and his wife are on the rocks and Bud's in the arms of the slumming rich girl Pam (Madolyn Smith Osborne, FUNNY FARM). When the bar announces a bull-riding contest, Bud decides to train with his uncle Bob (Barry Corbin, TV's NORTHERN EXPOSURE) to beat the arrogant Wes, who has now made Sissy his woman.
As a romance, the film has the late '70s-early '80s working class vibe, where men are pigs and women love them nonetheless. As I said before, Travolta is playing the character he always played for good reason — he was believable at it. Because he played hot-headed young men so well, it's no wonder he got typecast and needed PULP FICTION to revitalize his career when he got too old for those roles. Winger made her name in this box office hit, leading to the similar role in AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMEN. She makes Sissy bold and vulnerable at the same time, as well as uniquely sexy. She isn't a classic beauty, but there was something different about her in this film that made her alluring.
While nothing in the plot is surprising, the characters are well observed, making the story feel authentic. And unlike so many romances, this one doesn't wait till right before the third act to rip the couple apart, which makes their breakup and eventually reconciliation more fulfilling. It makes sense why these hardheaded young kids broke up, but it doesn't make sense that they won't ever get back together again. While there are some contrivances that keep them apart, the plot doesn't feel like its biding time, but just going with the nature of its characters. These are two characters who seek petty revenge and don't want to be the first person to say they're sorry. Riding mechanical bulls is a fitting metaphor for their personalities.
Rick DeMott
Animation World Network
Creator of Rick's Flicks Picks
